Trump nominee vows to combat ‘antisemitic rot’ at UN, slams UNRWA’s ‘terrorist ties’
Touting her grilling of university heads over campus antisemitism, Elise Stefanik vows to take similar approach at UN; also says Israel has biblical right to entire West Bank
US President Donald Trump’s nominee to become the ambassador to the United Nations said Tuesday that she will use the role to combat “antisemitic rot” at the UN.
“Combatting antisemitism is something I am deeply committed to doing in this role, and it’s one of the reasons why I was interested in this position during my conversations with President Trump,” US Representative Elise Stefanik told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during her confirmation hearing.
She said she used her current role as a lawmaker in the House of Representatives to combat “antisemitic rot” in the United States, referencing her tough questioning of college heads regarding over handling of anti-Israel protests following Hamas’s October 2023 attack, which first gained international attention that December when she asked three elite university leaders whether their schools prohibit calls for genocide against Jews. Video of the leaders’ answers sparked widespread outrage, leading two of them to step down.
Stefanik said she hopes to take the same approach at the UN.
“The US is the largest contributor to the UN by far… Our tax dollars should not be complicit in propping up entities that are counter to American interests, antisemitic, or engaging in fraud, corruption or terrorism,” she said. “As the world faces crisis after crisis, with hostages including Americans still held in Hamas captivity, to national security challenges ranging from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran… it has never been more critical for the United States to lead with strength and moral clarity.”
She pointed out that there are more resolutions at the UN condemning Israel than any other country and blasted the UN agency for women’s lackluster and delayed condemnation of Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, which included sexual violence against Israelis.
Stefanik characterized the UN Relief Agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA as a “program that is not meeting the mission of the UN. We need to roll our sleeves up, deliver reforms and make sure our dollars are going to programs within the UN that work and have a basis in rule of law, transparency, accountability and strengthen our national security.”
VAN HOLLEN: Do you share the view that Israel has a biblical right to the entire West Bank?
STEFANIK: Yes pic.twitter.com/q4KQQoINwx
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 21, 2025
“We should never tolerate any US taxpayer funds going toward terrorism. I was one of the members that voted to defund UNRWA… We can look to organizations within the UN which are proven organizations such as UNHCR, the World Food Program – which still need reform efforts and modernization – but don’t have the terrorist ties that UNRWA had that were exposed during October 7,” she said.
Stefanik declined to endorse a two-state solution or Palestinian rights to self-determination. “I believe they deserve so much more than the failures they’ve had from terrorist leadership,” she said.
Asked whether she agreed with far-right lawmakers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir that Israel has a biblical right to the entire West Bank, Stefanik responded in the affirmative.
She also urged an assessment of the UNIFIL observer mission role, following mounting allegations that it didn’t do anything to stop repeated Hezbollah violations of Security Council Resolution 1701 in Lebanon.
Stefanik called Iran “the most significant threat to world peace, and specifically the region,” saying sanctions snapbacks “will be an important tool to consider in [Trump’s] toolkit as he pushes back on Iran.”
The statements by Stefanik, a close Trump ally and Republican congresswoman from upstate New York, could position her to be a successor of sorts to Nikki Haley, who served as UN ambassador at the beginning of Trump’s first term in office and gained fans among pro-Israel activists for her outspoken defense of Israel.
Democratic senators noted areas of agreement with Stefanik but also challenged her at times on accusations of antisemitism in her own party and ideological camp. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia raised a past Stefanik campaign ad that said Democrats want to “overthrow our current electorate” by permitting undocumented immigrants to come into the country. Critics said the ad echoed the “great replacement” theory, a right-wing conspiracy theory alleging that Jews are using mass immigration to orchestrate the replacement of Western nations’ white populations.
Kaine did not ask a question about the ad, saying he “can separate campaign rhetoric from government rhetoric.” But Stefanik defended it, saying, “I stand strongly for border security and that was what the tweet you referenced was related to.” She and Kaine sparred about whether Democratic senators supported open borders, but she did not refer to the charge of promoting antisemitism.
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut asked Stefanik for her reaction to claims that Elon Musk, the billionaire and senior Trump adviser, had performed a Nazi salute at a rally on Monday. Stefanik responded, “Elon Musk did not do those salutes,” and praised Musk as an entrepreneur who “loves to cheer” for Trump.
In response to another question, she declined to say directly whether Palestinian deserve self-determination, though she said, “Of course they deserve human rights.” She also confirmed that she believes Israel has a biblical right to the entire West Bank.
